Normal Teenagers
by DairyPrincess
Summary: Recently, Percy and Annabeth have spent time worrying about saving the world than being normal teenagers. Will they be able to function normally in a high school environment? And what happens when a few people from their past comes back to bother them? What will they do when their biggest challenge is something they can't fight with a sword? Percabeth.
1. Chapter 1

Annabeth examined her new dorm room. The walls were brick, painted white, with a built in bookshelf on the far wall and a small TV mounted on the other wall. Two twin loft beds were on the East wall, waiting to be occupied, and there was a closet on at the end of each bed. Overall, it was basic and unimpressive. Annabeth beamed regardless. She wasn't going to school in Manhattan for the superior living quarters. Mae Marie's Girls School was private, prestigious, and ten blocks away from Percy's high school.

Percy and Annabeth were beginning their senior year of high school. They were offered full-time spots at the camp as support staff by Mr. D, but they had both declined. They wanted to be normal teenagers, for a while. Everyone at camp thought they deserved that, at the least.

Annabeth dumped her bags on one of the bunks and left her room as quickly as she could. She rushed down the three flights of stairs leading up to her room. Percy had agreed to meet her at the steps of her dorm at six o'clock sharp. Annabeth got ready to wait, because Percy had gotten into the habit of being late to _everything._ She was surprised to see him waiting on the steps of the building at 5:55, with a half dozen roses.

"Hey punk," said Annabeth. Percy jumped to his feet, looking flustered. They hadn't seen each other in a month, since Annabeth spent half the summer with her dad in San Francisco. Percy looked . . . like Percy. His dark hair was tousled around haphazardly. He wore a blue button-down and dark wash jeans. His black Nikes were a little muddy, but other than that, Annabeth thought he looked great. "Are those for your other girlfriend?" Annabeth jibbed.

Percy shot her a crooked smile. They had known each other for literally _years_ and that smile still caught her off guard.

"Nah. I don't have a date with her until Thursday," he replied. Annabeth punched him gently on the arm.

"Shut up," she said. Percy handed the roses off to her. A gentle floral scent wafted up from the bouquet. "Where are we going?" Annabeth doubted Percy had their date planned. They never worried over the logistics of their time together. It was easier to just go where the breeze took them.

The dark haired boy shrugged. "Anywhere with you. Want to grab a bite to eat?" Annabeth nodded. She let Percy take her to a pizza parlor a few blocks away. "They have great bread. And air conditioning. And great sauce. And air conditioning. Did I mention they had air conditioning?" They ordered a pepperoni pizza, a couple of drinks, and an order of bread sticks.

The couple made small talk for about twenty minutes, just catching up and stuff. They had Iris messaged a couple of times, but it still wasn't safe for them to contact each other with cellphones. Monsters were always popping up in strange places, but they were few and far between. After all they had fought together, a few random monsters was nothing they couldn't handle.

"So, do you like your new school?" asked Percy.

"I think I will," said Annabeth. "As long as my roommate isn't nuts, I'm sure I'll love it."

"Just make sure she's not a harpy," said Percy. "My math teacher was a monster one time."

"I'm sure I would notice if my roommate was a monster."

"I didn't notice," said Percy with a shrug. He leaned over the table, grinning. "Are you saying you're better than me?"

"Absolutely," replied Annabeth as she took Percy's hand. The waitress interrupted their moment with a hot pizza, and a basket of garlic covered bread sticks, not that they minded. Annabeth hadn't eaten since about eight that morning, when she took a break from driving across country to have breakfast. She'd driven her little Fiat (a birthday present from her dad) from San Francisco to New York. To her, it was the easiest way to get to New York without taking a plane. Percy's aversion to air travel had rubbed off on her.

"Look who we have here!" said a loud, rowdy voice behind the couple. "I haven't seen your sorry ass for years? What have you been up to, Jackson?"

"Get lost, Sloan," growled Percy. "You aren't wanted here."

Annabeth turned to get a look a the guy. She remembered him vaguely from when she _saved _Percy from a few Laistrygonian Giants back in the day. The guy looked like a bull dog, with unruly, black hair. He wore a Yankees snap-back crookedly on top of his dark mop, and he smiled smugly, showing off a chipped front tooth. What was worse than his chipped teeth, in Annabeth's opinion, was the Gucci T-shirt with a big pizza stain on the front that he wore.

"Hey, hey, hey, look. I'm just here to say hello. And to tell you congratulations. Your nerd of a step-dad led me through my new high school today. When I said I went to Merriweather Prep, he asked me if I knew you. Don't worry, I told him a bunch of great stuff."

"You can't be serious," muttered Percy. He looked disgusted at the thought of going to the same high school as this guy. Two boys lurked behind the Sloan. The first one was tall and lanky, like he didn't eat enough. Or he had a crack problem. Judging by his expensive, sagging jeans, Annabeth would have bet on the latter. The other guy was built kind of like Percy- lean and muscular, but he was nowhere near as handsome. Sure, he had straight teeth and a good haircut, but his head was square, his nose was crooked from a past break, and he had dull, deep-set eyes.

"Come on, Jackson, relax. You've always been so high-strung," said Sloan. His cronies elbowed each other, like their leader had said something particularly witty. Sloan leered at Annabeth. "Hey, I remember this girl. She was the picture in your pathetic little notebook. She grew up _good."_

"Well," said Annabeth. "I grew up _well._" She gritted her teach. All she wanted was to have a peaceful pizza with her boyfriend. Was that too much to ask?

"See, Jackson? Even your girl agrees with me." Sloan crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels, satisfied. Percy stood and walked around the table to stand toe to toe with Sloan. Annabeth followed behind, keeping a close distance, in case she had to pull him back. Percy looked like he wanted to deck this punk, but he restrained himself just fine. Tangling with mortals was risky business. Plenty of demigods aren't able to contain their own strength in a fight. It would be _so _easy accidentally kill a mortal.

"Don't you dare talk about her," growled Percy. "Or else I'll knock you into next week." Damn, he was cute when he was angry, Annabeth thought. Frustrated teenage angst was a great look on him. Sloan balled his fists, ready to swing.

"Fuck off. I'll talk about your little whore anyway I want." Percy lunged for Sloan. He got him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up by it. Sloan was dangling a half-inch off the ground before Percy took a deep breath, dropped his collar, and took a step back. Annabeth wouldn't have been proud of him for knocking Sloan's head in like he wanted to. It was pointless. You can't fix stupid.

"Look, we didn't come here looking for trouble," said Percy.

"Really? Because it looks like you did," said Sloan. Then, he tried to sucker-punch Percy. For a split second, Percy reached for Riptide, but he changed course. He caught Sloan's wrist in his hand, and turned to flip him over his shoulder, exactly how Annabeth had done when she saw him for the first time in months at Camp Jupiter.

Sloan hit the ground hard, since he was a total heavyweight. His cronies stood at the ready, waiting for orders, it looked like. They also looked . . . afraid of Percy. Annabeth wanted to wipe the confused looks off of their faces with hit of her Drakon bone sword. It wasn't like Percy's Celestial Bronze. It could put a hurt on mortals and monsters alike. Of course, mortals didn't see it for what it was. She imagined they saw it something basic, like twirling baton. However, she held her spot and kept quiet. Starting a brawl was the last thing she wanted to do.

"You guys need to leave," said Percy to the pair of idiots. "Before you get the Jackson treatment too." They looked eat each other with uncertainty. Then, they helped Sloan off of the floor and led him out of the parlor by the arms. Sloan stuck his head back through the door a moment later. His face was red like an apple with embarrassment.

"You fucked up big by coming at me sideways like that, Jackson. I'm going to make your life a living hell. That's a promise!" Sloan and his crew then proceeded to shuffle down the sidewalk, holding their pants up and yelling profane things at passing women.

Percy sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I ruin everything."

"You're absolutely right. You ruin everything. Wow, it really sucks to have a boyfriend defend your honor like that. Whatever will I do," Annabeth fanned her face, like Hazel did when she saw something she thought was scandalous.

"That was wonderful!" exclaimed the Italian man from behind the register. Annabeth assumed he was the owner, or manager or something. "Those hood rats never tip! Hopefully, they won't come back. Young man, your dinner is on the house!"


	2. Chapter 2

After they enjoyed their free meal, the couple took a walk through a small local park. The heat waned as the sun sunk lower and lower in the sky. Percy and Annabeth sat on lush green grass and held hands as they watched the sun set. "Isn't this cliche?" Annabeth mused. "Percy?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," replied Percy. He had been too busy staring at Annabeth, wondering how her hair was always perfectly curly. He noticed her gray eyes were searching for something he couldn't see.

"Did you hear that?" she asked. This time, Percy did hear it. A wolf was howling, and it was close. They both jumped to their feet. Percy drew Riptide, casting a gentle glow around himself. Annabeth also reached for her Drakon bone sword, which had been enchanted to take the form of an owl figurine in her pocket when not in use.

They stood back to back, looking for threats. Then, the threat in question came out of the bushes. It was a couple of delinquents with their hoods up, laughing their asses off. One was holding a bullhorn and a cellphone with an animal sounds app open on the screen. The other guy had one of those little Flip cameras. "Sorry, sorry, we do this YouTube show where we scare couples on dates," yelled one of them. "We usually get a few screams, but you two jumped into action!" They shuffled off, still laughing, back through the bushes they came from.

"Only in New York," said Annabeth. "Bushmen with Flip cams." Percy smirked at her.

"I just hope we don't end up on YouTube. I've already had a fair share of media attention in my life," said Percy.

They re-located to the swings, out in the open. She caught Percy staring at her again. He looked distant. "What?" she asked. "Do I have something in my hair?"

"Nah. I was just thinking, you look like a blonde Xena the Warrior Princess with that sword," he replied. "All you need is some badass leather and-"

"Shut up."

"Oh come on. It's hot. Let me hear your battle cry," Percy said. Annabeth pusahed him out of his swing and into the sandpit below. Percy grabbed her shoulders and took her down with him. They wrestled for dominance for a moment before Percy pinned Annabeth to the ground gently. "I win," he said.

"Maybe I'm letting you win," replied Annabeth.

"No way," laughed Percy. "_Everyone _knows that boys are like, totally better than girls. It's like a _commandment. _An unspoken rule. Kind of like how two guys don't sit in adjacent seats at the movies." Percy's grin turned into a full-on sarcastic smirk. Annabeth saw her opening. Percy had left himself open while he gloated. She rolled them over and watched the smirk melt from his face, turning into a contented smile, realizing he was guilty of Annabeth's fatal flaw- pride. And, he was just fine with being under Annabeth. Who wouldn't be?

Annabeth snaked her hands up Percy's sides, to his armpits, and started tickling him. Percy giggled like a happy schoolgirl. "Who's the better one now?"

"Let me go!" he yelled through strangled giggles. It was ironic, how the guy who had fought with the Titans could be reduced to a giggling idiot under a swing set.

Annabeth leaned down, hovering just an inch above Percy's face. "Are you sure you want up?" she asked. Percy gripped her hips and pulled her closer.

"Never," he whispered back.


	3. Chapter 3

Night fell around the couple, both of which were too wrapped up in each other to really care. Percy walked Annabeth back to her dorm eventually and called a cap for himself. They cuddled on the steps of the building until Percy's ride showed up.

"See you tomorrow?" asked Annabeth hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll come by after school. When do you get out?"

"Four."

"Okay. I'll be here with bells on," said Percy.

"I'll settle for shoes," said Annabeth.

"Only shoes?" asked Percy, raising his eyebrow suggestively.

"If that's what floats your boat," she replied. They kissed one last time before Percy ducked into his cab. The yellow taxi rolled out of the dorms parking lot, and off into the night. Annabeth sighed happily. She had never been more happy in her life. She had a cool boyfriend that she loved. She was going to a great school and her relationship with her dad had never been better. What could possibly go wrong?

Annabeth realized _exactly _what could go wrong when she made her way back to her dorm room. She threw the door open to see at least 20 cardboard moving boxes lining the wall on her side of the room. Both closets had been filled to the brim with girly clothes that didn't belong to Annabeth, obviously, not only because they were all too small, but because she built her wardrobe more around functionality than frills. Besides, the school she was going to had a uniform. Bringing enough dresses to fill a boutique was pointless.

The girl waded into the room, trying to avoid a few piles of cute socks, and sheets of bubble wrap that were littering the floor near the doorway. In the middle of the room, a brunette had a dress in each outstretched arm, carefully looking both of them over.

"Drew?" asked Annabeth. The girl whipped around, looking annoyed. Drew looked exactly how Annabeth had remembered her: tall, with long shiny black hair and big, pretty brown eyes. Annabeth caught a whiff of the natural Christmas scent that hung around her all the time. Plenty of Aphrodite's kids had a naturally pleasant scent, but Drew's was more prominent than most others.

Drew whipped her head around. "I thought that drab duffel bag looked familiar," she said with a small snarl. "I borrowed your closet. I needed to see my entire wardrobe, to decide what to send back to storage." Drew smiled at Annabeth, trying to look innocent and sweet. Annabeth scowled back.

"Don't try to Charmspeak me," she replied. "I'm going to need my closet, unless you want to see my _drab _clothes all over the room." Annabeth made a pointed glance to the piles of designer clothes and bubble wrap on the floor, giving Drew a moment to envision Annabeth's plebeian wardrobe in the same places.

"Fine," Drew huffed, giving up on the Charmspeak. "I'll have it empty in a little while. Keep your panties on." Annabeth shook her head at Drew, and deposited her 'drab' duffle bag on top of the desk under her loft bed. She was exhausted. All the driving and pizza parlor brawling had caught up with her. The moment her head hit the pillow, Annabeth was fast asleep.


End file.
